Hotondo Ie
by Zanza Writer-for-Hire
Summary: En route to beginning a job as a police officer, a young Saito rescues a waitress from certain doom. Set shortly after the end of the Revolution (prequel to "Tsuku Ie.")
1. Part 1

Beforehand: 

My Good friend, Sweet Chaos, asked me in her review of "Tsuku Ie" what I thought the meeting between Saito and his wife would be like. So I got to thinking about it and this is what I came up with…

***

"Here we are, Tokio, another day of work."

Sighing, twenty-one year old Tokio looked at her younger sister, then glanced out the window. It looked like rain. The sky was a dark overcast, which only served to darken Tokio's present mood. Frowning, she turned back to the teenager. "Tokei, do you ever wish something more interesting would happen around here?"

"More interesting?" The dark-haired girl tied an apron around her waste, "More interesting in what way?"

"I don't know." Her sister sighed, "Every day we get up and do as we're told. Mother says we need to work here since Father died and I understand why, but I wish something exciting would happen."

"We see new and interesting people everyday. What more could you want?"

"Haven't you ever thought about the future, Tokei?" Tokio tied back her glossy hair, "I don't want to work at this inn forever. Don't you want to get married and have a family? Or travel the country? Or do something more worthwhile than this? Life can't end here, like this."

"It's too bad. As long as we're living like this, with our brothers and sister at home, you and I can't have anything we want. Mama says since we're oldest, it's our responsibility to earn money while she takes care of the children. Times have been tough since the revolution ended last year. We promised Papa we would do this for him and watch after Mama and the others."

Tokio said nothing, just unfolded her own apron and tied it on. _I can't stay here forever…_She sighed to herself, _I would die in a place like this. There's so much to do, so much to see. I want love. I want a life of my own. I want things to change_…

"Tokio! Tokei! Where are you? The customers want breakfast!" The manager of the inn called from the front room.

"We'd better go get to work, huh, Oné-san?" Tokei smiled as she left the room, "And cheer up. No one likes a depressed waitress."

"Cheer up…" Tokio grumbled to herself as she followed her sister out the door, "What's to be cheerful about? Dead-end life that goes no where…Boring job…" A smile automatically spread itself across her face as she greeted the morning's guests. "What would you like, Ma'am?"

Throughout the course of the day, Tokio watched as her sister readily went from customer from customer, taking and delivering their orders. The smile never left her face and she never lost her jovial tone of voice. _How, _she wondered, _can she do that all day? How can she remain so happy while working like a dog? Where does she find joy in this?_

"Excuse me, Miss?"

"What?" A cool voice dragged her from her reverie and back to reality, "Oh, I'm sorry!" She bowed slightly as an act of apology, then she looked up, her eyes meeting those of the man before her. 

Startled, she took a step back. His eyes were so cold and empty. Never before had she looked upon some one who seemed to have no soul. Overcoming her initial fear, she forced herself to look away. The man's wolfish eyes had captured her attention instantly, drawing her gaze away from the rest of his face. He wasn't a particularly attractive man; his features were sharp and angular; his dark hair pulled back in a long ponytail, a few strands falling loose in his face.

He looked dangerous.

Something stirred within Tokio; her heart pounded wildly. This man was everything she had always wanted, she could see it within his eyes. What was he, that he caused her heart to flutter so? He was the excitement her soul had longed for, the yearning for adventure within her spirit. 

"Tokio! What are you doing?" Yokubo Tesaguri had appeared in the dinning room. He ran a tight business and Tokio was behaving most incompetently.

"I'm sorry for not acting professionally." Her face flushed red as she bowed before her employer.

"Please forgive her." Tesaguri said briskly to the man. Then to Tokio, "Stop your daydreaming and do your job properly."

"Yes, Tesaguri-san." Another bob of her head and she looked back at the customer. "May I take your order?"

"Plain soba and a cup of ryokucha."

"Yes, Sir. Right away."

The man with the wolf-like eyes watched with interest as both Tokio and Tesaguri moved away. What a strange girl she seemed to be. But she was pretty; long, chestnut brown hair, inky eyes, a nice figure. However, she looked frightened. Her boss seemed to be a real sleaze, the way he was watching her as she walked towards the back. This did not sit well with the traveler; he did not like the way Tesaguri was looking at her at all. 

Tokio was in a fog as she wandered back to the kitchen. A strange desire washed over her. That man…That man; she wanted him. He was so dangerous, so ruthless, so...terribly intriguing. 

"Oné-san, did you see that man out there?" Tokei questioned in a loud whisper, "He was so frightening. He has the look of a cold-blooded killer."

"That's nice…" 

"Tokio, are you listening to me?"

"What? Did you say something, Tokei?"

The teen rolled her eyes. "Yes, I said something. What's wrong with you? You seem really out of it."

"Well, um…I, uh, I've been busy." She stammered, "Now, I've got an order to fill. Sumimasen." A quick bow and she was gone.

Tokei shook her head. Her sister was so bizarre.

*

"Well, Tokio, it's the end of another day. You'd better be getting home to your mother. Your sister already left."

"Yes, Sir, Tesaguri-san." Tokio folded her apron neatly and placed it on a shelf in the back kitchen.

"Are you unhappy, Tokio? You seem unhappy."

The young woman looked at her boss. He was a rich man with a nice family who owned the Hotondo Ie Inn. He was lacking for nothing in his life and well respected in the village. She came from a small home where there was never enough food. Her father had died for the imperialists leaving behind six children and she the oldest. She worked hard so her mother could watch after the little ones, sacrificing her own future for her family. Of course she was unhappy. "There is nothing you can do for me, Tesaguri-san." She said quietly, "I'm going home now. I'll see you in the morning."

"All right then." A brief pause, "One more thing…" He had seen the unnamed man watching him, the man with the eyes of a killer. That kind of guy could cause trouble for some one like him. Tokio had been very interested in that man. 

"Yes, Sir?"

"That man with the wolf eyes, I don't want you near him. He seemed quite dangerous. He could hurt one of you girls."

Tokio's dark eyes widened. How could she not be near that man? He was everything her heart yearned for. _But, _a voice in the back of her mind whispered, _you have no clue who he is. He could very well be dangerous as Tesaguri-san says._ "…Yes, Sir."

"That's a good girl. I'll walk you home. He may be lurking around outside."

"That's very kind of you, Sir, but I can get home okay alone." She started out the door, but he grabbed her by the hand.

"I don't think you'll be safe." His voice was forceful and rough.

"Let me go, Tesaguri-san." She was frightened by the tone of his voice. She knew nothing good could come of this, but what was she to do? She couldn't risk losing her job.

"I don't think I want to let you go. It's been such a tease having you here. You're such a pretty young thing." He took her chin in his hand, forcing her to look into his eyes.

"I want to go home. Please, Tesaguri-san…"

"You're mine now." He grinned wickedly, "You're in my power. You don't do as I wish and you're out of a job."

"No…No; not that…Please, no…" Her voice was no more than a whisper, her eyes wide.

"Come with me. Come on." He dragged her out the door.

Tokio looked wildly around. What could she do? If she screamed, he wouldn't hesitate to harm her, of this she was certain. What would she do? What would she do?! Panic washed over her. There was nothing she could do! He was about to defile her.

"It would be wise for you to let the girl go."

Tesaguri stopped. That voice…He looked of her shoulder. There was a flash of a match being struck and those wolfish eyes burned out from the darkness. 

"She seems a little young for you." He stepped forward, taking a drag on the cigarette pressed between his fingers, "And rather unwilling."

"Stay out of this." Tesaguri snarled.

An amused laugh came from the shadows. "Don't you know who I am, Tesaguri? You were right. I am a dangerous man. Very dangerous to your kind." He flicked the cigarette butt to the ground, "I'm your worst nightmare."

A light rain began to fall. Tokio jerked out of Tesaguri's grasp. She pushed her damp hair out of her eyes and looked up. The stranger had drawn a sword, a sword neither of the other two had previously realized he had in his possession. Enthralled, she watched through the dim moonlight as he crouched, the sword turned on its side.

"I won't hesitate to kill you." He informed the depraved man, "The wolf of Mibu takes pity on no man."

"Don't kill me." Tesaguri begged, realizing the seriousness in the unknown man's voice, "I'll let her go. I'll give you anything. Just don't kill me."

"Never touch that girl again. Never go near her. Never."

"Y-yes…Of course…Don't kill me."

"Get out of here. Go!" He shifted, readjusting his bodyweight. 

There was a moment where it seemed like time stopped. Then Tesaguri slunk away and the man slid his sword back into its sheath. "You all right, Miss?"

"Oh, yes." She nodded, "I thank you."

He looked at her curiously, wondering why she was so calm in such a situation. "Why didn't you scream?"

"He's done it before. Touched me, insinuated things, suggested that I allow him to 'care for me.' I needed that job. Had it been any one else, I would have put up a fight. But my job is important to my family since Father died a short time ago. Mother can't work because of the little ones at home."

"I see. You should plan on finding a new job, after what just happened. I suggest you go home now and worry about that tomorrow. I'm not leaving for a while, so he won't try anything more."

"I am in your debt, Sir. May I ask you something?"

"Yes?"

"Are you really Hajime Saito, the wolf of Mibu?"

"I am."

"You really would have killed him."

"I would have." He nodded in agreement. Hajime Saito was not the kind of man to stand idly by and watch an innocent young woman be taken advantage of. The anger that man had instilled in him was great; he was silently cursing the lecher. "…Then would you have screamed?" 

"No. I have seen a dead man before. I am not frightened of death, Saito-san."

"You're not afraid of me either."

"No. There is nothing I have done that would cause me to fear you. My sister is frightened of you. She recognized you as the cold-blooded killer that you are."

"My eyes give it away." He smiled slightly, "Tokio, was it? You should best be on your way home. Your mother will worry."

"Mother won't worry. I know what she will think I am doing. When Father first left, she did it herself to have extra money. I have more pride than that. She can think what she wants. All Mother worries about is having enough to feed her children. She is my father's second wife and not my real mother. The little ones are my half brothers and sister and she loves them far more than Tokei and me. She will be more angry that I need a new job than she will be about my being out late."

"Your sister, she's the other girl who was working in there, wasn't she? Why didn't she wait for you?"

"Tokei likes to go down to the sleazy inn where the men drink and gamble. She gets them to buy her saké and give her money. She's content in a life of decadence where all she has to do is act pretty and men will give her things. As long as she earns money, she doesn't care how she does it."

"You won't lower yourself to that?"

"Never. That is why the job I have is so important." She looked up at the cloudy sky, rain running in rivers down her face, "I'd like to get married and leave this place, to take Tokei away from such a debauched lifestyle, but I cannot. Father was killed during the revolution and I am the oldest. It is my responsibility to provide for the family. I promised my father."

"You're a good woman to sacrifice everything for your family." He said slowly, "But that's not very fair." It seemed sad to him. She had her mind in all the right places, she was intelligent and insightful. She would make a very good wife.

"Fair or not," She looked back at him, her dark eyes glistening through the night, "I can't break a promise to a dead man. For all twenty-one years of my existence, I have done as my father asked. I will not stop now. His last words to me were 'take care of the family' and I intend to do just that."

Twenty-one years…She was younger than he was and already knew the suffering of the world. She would rot away in such a place as the Hotondo Ie Inn with that old pervert leering at her everyday. It was such a waste. "What if some one were to take you away from all of this?"

"There would be no one to work. Only Tokei. And there are four little children at home who need food and clothes. She could not make enough money with out living an even more immoral life."

"Some one who could send money home to your family?" He had a high regard for her; the bravery she had to look Yokubo Tesaguri in the face after the way he treated her was commendable, she was a hard worker, and, on top of all that, she was attractive. She had fallen on hard times and remained innocent through it all. She was a respectable woman. 

"No one will come. The man I was to marry died along side Father. I did not love him. I hardly even knew him. Sometimes I am relieved that he died. I was afraid of him. He was a dreadful coward and did not wish to fight. I was promised to him at the time of my birth and I have never cared for the man."

Saito laughed. "Afraid of a man you have known all your life and were to marry, but not of me?" What an intriguing girl she was, to make him think the things that were drifting through his mind right then. He wanted to take her away and hide her from Tesaguri; protect her from her stepmother who didn't seem to give a damn about her.

"I do not fear you." She looked away, her face slightly pink. He wouldn't have been able to see her blush through the darkness, but she was suddenly shy. Then she turned back to him, her gaze meeting his wolf-like eyes. "I do believe that I love you." She whispered.

"Love me?" He peered at her curiously through the rain, "You don't even know me."

"You have shown me what kind of man you are through your actions. You are polite and respectful, introspective, certain in all that you do. And you are not afraid of anything. You live the sort of life I wish for. I want some one in my life who will protect me, yet allow me to make my own choices. You have done so already and, by doing so, captured my heart."

"I've killed many people. And I've done so without a single regret."

This statement caused her heart to pound uncontrollably within her chest. He was such a dangerous man. She was wildly excited just being near him. He was gazing intently down at her, his eyes fixed upon her. The whole situation was dreadfully romantic; he had rescued her from certain doom, they were standing soaking wet in the rain together and he was staring down at her like that. 

He was as drawn to her as she was to him. While she looked almost as edgy as earlier, there was an undeniable longing in her inky eyes. A lock of hair, heavy with rain, slid from her loose ponytail and fell into her face. He brushed it back, his hand lingering on her cheek. Many new and unusual emotions were flooding over him; some strong, lusty, sinful desire. He drew her face up to his, his lips meeting hers.

His kiss was passionate and left her breathless. His eyes never left hers and she could see into the depths of his soul. She liked what she saw in him immensely. "Take me away from all of this…" Her voice was low and pleading, "I love you. Rescue me…"

"I will. Take me home with you. We'll work something out." He promised, "I'll talk to your mother. Arrangements could be made that will release you from her. You will have the freedom to do as you please, but I will take care of you."

"I thank you." She smiled softly, "And I will try to be a good wife. I am used to doing as I am told and, unlike Mother, I work very hard. You will not regret this, Saito-san."

A peculiar expression crossed his face and he broke into a smile, his eyes crinkling shut. "If I am going to marry you, you can call me by my first name, Tokio."

"Hajime." She looked up at him, his hair hanging limply around his face, his clothes wet and sticking to him. He was rescuing her from misery and, even then, soaking wet, he couldn't have been more beautiful to her. She slid one small hand into his, feeling a surprising warmth from within him. He smiled down at her and she felt an overwhelming happiness wash over her. "I love you, Hajime." She paused, "Will you love me?"

"Right now, I admire and care for you. I will never stop caring for you. But I've never loved any one before and don't know if I will love you. I'll be forward and tell you that right now. If you change your mind about all of this, I'll understand. I want to help you out and having a wife will be good for me. I'm starting a job with the police and will need some one to look after my home. But I cannot promise that I will love you."

She thought about this for a moment, weighing her options. Stay at home with Mother, Tokei and the children or leave with a man who may or may not love her. Mother didn't care about her, but the children and Tokei…they needed her. On the other hand, Hajime could give her all the things they could not; a home, a taste of the freedom she never knew, the attention no one else offered. He had a job -a good one with the government- a home and the power to protect her from vile men like Tesaguri. On top of all that, he had captured her heart.

"I'm going with you. I love you, even if you will not love me. And I will take care of your home for you. This will benefit us both." She decided, "But you will help my family, won't you?"

"I will send them money. You need not worry about them. Now, it's about time we get out of the rain. Take me to your home."

"All right. Come this way."

His hand still in hers, she lead him back to their small house. Tokei, she knew wouldn't be home for at least another hour. The two youngest children would probably be asleep already, but the other two would still be up. She wasn't sure what Mother would say about Hajime, but she didn't care. She knew the woman would be happy that they would give her money. That was all that mattered to Maro. 


	2. Part 2

Yukio and Haruko greeted them at the door. Surprisingly, little Kaida was trailing behind her brothers. It seemed that only three year old Keiji was already in bed. He was Tokio's favorite brother and she wished he were still awake. He would like Hajime. Five year old Kaida and Yukio, age eight, peered out at the man from behind Haruko. He was the oldest boy at ten and considered himself the man of the house. Afraid of nothing and taking orders from no one, he looked right up at the wolf of Mibu, glaring into his animal-like eyes.

"Who are you?"

Before Saito even had a chance to answer, fiery little Kaida called for her mother. "Mama! Oné-san got a strange man!" 

Maro appeared soon after, carrying Keiji. She and her four children were all identical; small and pretty, wide azure eyes and midnight black hair. Tokio and Tokei looked more like their father and were far tougher than any of their half-siblings ever would be. Tokio always had suspected that Maro didn't really like her or her sister because they looked so much like their father. "Tokio!" The woman admonished her, "You know better than to bring people home when we can barely afford to feed ourselves."

"Gomen nasai, Mother." The young woman bowed politely, "This is Hajime Saito. He is not staying long -only the night- and we are leaving tomorrow."

"We?" Maro's eyebrow went up. Keiji was reaching for his oldest sister as Maro looked Saito up and down, but she just held him protectively.

He had instantly decided that he didn't like the woman. She looked only about five years older than Tokio and also as if she had never done a day of work in her life. He knew what she was good for and it disgusted him. A woman like Maro was the type to dress up and show off, but there wouldn't be much else she could do besides take care of the children she bore. She was a wasted life.

"Hajime and I are getting married. I am leaving with him." Tokio explained quietly.

"You would abandon your family -after all I've done for you- for a man you hardly know?!" Maro seemed outraged by this.

Saito was getting angrier and angrier as time went by. From the looks of Tokio, Maro did nothing for her. She did everything for herself. She had sacrificed happiness to please the wretched woman and got nothing in return. He shifted closer to Tokio, understanding fully why she wished to leave. She seemed frightened of the woman, bound to a promise she had made with a man who no longer lived; Tokio had lost some of her passion.

"You were perfectly happy with the idea of me marrying Jinan and I knew even less of him!" Tokio drew up to her full height to face her stepmother, a new fire burning from the depths of her dark eyes, "You are not my mother and my father is dead. This is up to me and I am old enough to make my own choices. I love Hajime."

He stood beside her, glaring at Maro. His wolfish eyes burned red with contempt and he wished to leave right then. Tokio deserved nothing she had gotten in her life. "She will not be abandoning you." He said coldly, "I will provide for your family. I would like a wife and she would like to leave. You will be getting money. Every one will get what they want."

"You'll give us money?" Maro asked suspiciously, "What sort of job do you have, Saito-san?"

"Since the revolution has ended, I have been trained and employed as a police officer. I have a government job which pays a considerable amount more than any job Tokio could ever have. Unless, of course, you wish for her to become a prostitute."

"I would never want that!" The woman snapped. But her eyes betrayed her. He could see what she was thinking: _I don't care what she does as long as it brings me money_. 

He wanted to slap her. The urge to hurt her was nearly overwhelming him; she was making him so angry. What kind of mother would do such thing? How could she care so little about such a wonderful girl? 

"What's going on?" Tokei came barging into the room, followed by a cloud of saké and cheap perfume. She was wearing a yukata that wasn't hers and appeared more than slightly rumpled. Her gaze came to rest on Saito and she gave a little squeal. "What's _he _doing here?!"

"Your sister says she's marrying him." Maro spat out the words as if they burned her tongue.

"Oné-san, are you insane?" She whirled to face her sister, "He's a killer!"

"Yes; I know." Tokio's voice sounded very small. Every one was against her. They didn't see in Hajime what she did. They didn't know what she knew about him. When they had kissed, he had opened his carefully guarded heart to her. The way he had brushed back her hair in the rain, she had seen a very gentle part of him, a part she suspected he didn't show many people.

"I kill only when necessary, Miss." He informed her, "I have not killed any one since the end of the revolution. Tokio will certainly be well taken care of, as will the rest of you."

"I suppose," Maro drew in a breath, "Since I have no say in this, there is nothing I can do but wish you well."

Saito could practically smell her lying. She was oozing false sincerity and charm. How he hated people like that. He could hardly wait until morning to get Tokio out of there. He pushed a strand of hair out of her face. "You had better go get dry clothes on. You'll be no use to me if you're sick."

"Yes, Hajime." She nodded and then disappeared into another room, wondering how he would handle being alone with them while she was gone. Tokei, Maro, Haruko, Yukio…none of them seemed to like him. The little ones had no clue what was happening. She was heartsick over the thought of their tolerating him only because of his money. _But, _she reminded herself, _you cannot expect anything more than this…_

Tokei watched with interest as her sister interacted with the man who would soon be her husband. Never had any of the men she was with been so caring or concerned. She sensed a certain amount of tenderness for Tokio within Saito. He certainly seemed fond of her. Maybe he even loved her; Tokei wasn't sure, but Tokio seemed to be happy.

Kaida was looking shyly up at Saito, still unsure whether or not she trusted him. He knelt down to be level with her, a smile on his face. His smile surprised both Maro and Tokei; he seemed to smile with his whole face rather than just his mouth. For how nefarious of a man he appeared to be, his whole countenance changed when he smiled. 

"What's your name, Little One?" He asked her.

She smiled a jack-o-lantern grin, showing the gaps where she had lost a few teeth. " 'M Kaida." She informed him, holding up her fingers, " 'M five."

"You're a big girl, aren't you?" He patted her on the head.

"Hai." She nodded cheerfully.

"My name is Yukio." The little boy smiled up at him, "I'm eight. Keiji is only three. He's little still."

"You're little too." Haruko was still slightly wary of the man, "I'm the biggest 'cause I'm ten."

"Nuh-uh!" Yukio argued, "I'm not little and you're not the biggest. Tokio is biggest."

"Well Tokio," His brother folded his arms across his chest, "Is leaving. Then she won't be biggest any more."

"Tokei's still bigger!"

"Don't fight." Saito silenced them, "You're both big boys. And I'm sure Tokio will miss you very much." He could see why she liked the children, even though their mother was horrid. They were charming, intelligent children.

"Boys, take Keiji and Kaida and go to bed." Maro ordered her children, "I don't want to hear a sound from any of you until tomorrow morning."

"Yes, Mama." The older boys chorused. Yukio took Keiji by the hand and Kaida trailed after Haruko. 

"Oyasumi nasai." Keiji waved, smiling, as his brother lead him from the room.

Saito waved back, then turned to Maro. "Don't try to flatter me, Ma'am. I can see right through your insincere charm. You care nothing about what happens to Tokio -or Tokei, for that matter-" He glanced at the teenager, "As long as you have money. You needent pretend you like me solely because I am going to be giving you money. I am doing it only for Tokio. She's a good woman and I want her to be happy."

"How dare you!?" Maro looked outraged, "Coming here and saying things like that! You have no right to-"

"Be quiet. From what I've seen here, I have more rights to be angry than you. You're a terrible woman and you should appreciate both of your stepdaughters more."

The woman's face turned very red and she looked like she wished to strangle him. She turned on her heal and stormed out of the room, leaving Saito and Tokei alone.

"You care very much about my sister, don't you? She seems exceptionally happy. I am glad. She wants to leave here more than anything."

"Yes, I know. I do care about her and I'm eager to rescue her. After seeing this woman she calls 'Mother,' I wonder even more how she stayed so kind-hearted all these years."

"Mama is selfish and thoughtless. But without her, we would truly be alone. Tokio fears that." Tokei paused, "In her life, there's been heartache and pain. I honestly don't know if she can face that again. You had better treat her right. She's a good woman." The girl stretched and turned to leave, "Oh, and you should lose the ponytail. She won't say anything about it, but I can guarantee she hates it."

He stared after her as she left. Tokei had not stopped smiling once. She was even more bizarre than her sister.

Tokio appeared back in the room dressed in a pale pink yukata, her hair down long and somewhat damp. She went over to him, shivering slightly, "I am sorry about that. Mother is not the kind of person you would want to cross paths with." Then a thought crossed her mind, "You're soaking wet, Hajime. Do you have anything else to wear?"

"No." He shook his head. What little he had brought with him was back at the inn.

"I'll get you something of Father's." She breezed back out of the room and returned moments later with a very light green robe. "Here. Put this on. I don't want you getting sick either." A shy smile spread across her face. 

He smiled slightly in return, brushing back a lock of her hair. "You'll take such good care of me."

"I love you. You are rescuing me from all of this. Of course I will care for you." She took his upraised hand in hers and held his palm to her cheek, "I'll do my best to keep you happy."

He had a sudden desire to kiss her again. While she wasn't as pretty as Tokei or her stepmother, there was something about her that appealed to him. She was a bold woman; defying Maro, enticing him to kiss her, giving him her father's clothing -something he was sure would enrage her mother. His hand slid around, drawing her face up to his.

Her breath caught in her throat and her heart skipped a beat as he kissed her. She was passionately in love with him, wishing to do things with him that had never before crossed her mind. Things she imagined Tokei did with the men in the brothel. Her face flushed scarlet. 

Saito was amused by her embarrassment. He could only imagine what she was thinking. The fact that she thought in such a fashion proved that she truly was bold. What an unusual woman she was. And she was all his. "First thing tomorrow," He told her quietly, "I'm going to take you away from all of this. Are you prepared to leave?"

"I am."

"Can you empty from your heart the love you feel for those children? I do not want you back here anywhere near that horrid woman. I will take care of them, but you won't see them."

Her face paled for a moment, but her voice remained just as strong. "I place my trust in you, Hajime. I can do anything with you by my side."

"You're sure? I don't want you making the biggest mistake of your life, Tokio."

"I'm sure."

He nodded, knowing she meant it. She wasn't the kind of woman who said things she didn't mean. "Then you had better get to bed. We will have a busy day tomorrow."

"Yes." She agreed, "I share a room with Tokei. You may sleep here; it should be comfortable enough."

"As you wish. Goodnight, Tokio."

"Oyasumi nasai." She bowed as she left the room, her glossy hair sliding over her shoulder. Her face was still slightly pink at the notion that if she didn't share a room with her sister she would have readily invited him to bed with her.

*

Saito awoke early the next morning and lay there pondering over what was to transpire that day_. I'm marrying Tokio out of pity, _he reminded himself. _She was nearly raped last night, her mother cares nothing for her and they are living in poverty. You have no one waiting at home for you. That's why you're doing this._

But, a small voice in the back of his head argued, _you do feel something for her. You've kissed her twice already. You cannot explain that away, can you?_

This troubled him. Never one for romance, Hajime Saito had not put a lot of thought into love. He was a wolf; he worked alone. He didn't need the help of any one else. Yet he had told her it would be good to have a wife. She would be helping him, whether he liked it or not. 

A smile crossed his face. He liked it. The thought of some one waiting for him at home, some one greeting him warmly upon his return, made him very happy. Perhaps he would love her over time. He did, as he had told her, admire her greatly. 

"Onii-san?"

Startled, he looked up. Keiji stood in the doorway, a slightly frightened look on his face. "What is it, Keiji?"

"I had a bad dream…Some'in happened ta Tokio. Ya won't let 'er get hurt, will ya?" He sniffled, his wide eyes full of tears.

Saito looked at the little boy seriously. "I won't let anything happen to your sister. I'll take good care of her."

"Promise?"

"I promise." He smiled.

"Good." Keiji crossed the room to him and crawled into his lap, "I wish you're my papa. Yer nice."

He looked down at the small boy, pale and thin with dark hair and wide, innocent eyes. His lashes were wet with tears and he looked sleepy still. The poor child…all of them, they didn't deserve such a life. What kind of cruel fate had given them such a mother then allowed their father to die while they were so young? And there he was, preparing to take away their only positive role model.

Glancing down again, he found Keiji asleep. The child's breathing had become deep and even. A faint smile crossed his face. Tokio worshipped these children. Surely she would want at least one of her own. This relationship would not be without benefits. As a man who lived by a code of honor, he would never allow himself to defile a woman. But if he and Tokio were to be married, there would be nothing wrong with it.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Hajime." Came Tokio's pleasant voice. She was standing where Keiji had been a short while before, looking slightly tired and slightly rumpled.

"You look like you hardly slept at all, Tokio." He said quietly.

"I was too excited to sleep. And I'm kind of nervous too." She admitted, "I've never left home before."

"This isn't your home any more." His voice was very grim, "This is a prison for you. You are caged when you were born to fly. But you are almost home."

"Yes," She agreed, "I am almost home." A smile crossed her face and she sat down beside him, wrapping her yukata tighter around her. It had gotten chilly that night and she was cold.

He looked over at her and felt a strange rush of emotions. She was smiling pleasantly, her inky eyes shining with happiness. A lump rose in his throat. _This woman is going to be my wife._ The way she was looking at him caused his heart to pound. What was one more kiss? He leaned towards her; their noses were only inches apart…

"Oh no you don't!" Maro shrieked from the doorway, "You're not married to her yet, Saito-san. I'll have none of that in my house. Tokio! Get up. You have a lot to do today before you leave with _him_." She looked contemptuously at Saito, her hatred towards him growing with each second he remained in her house.

Sighing, Tokio drew away from Saito. _It's your last day here, _she reminded herself, _This is the last time you'll have to do as she says. Do it without giving her the satisfaction of knowing you hate her._

"And you," Maro looked at the man, "You can make yourself useful too. Don't think I'll let you sit around all day doing nothing."

"Surely you think better of me than that, Ma'am." He said in mock seriousness. She agitated him to no end. Everything about her annoyed him; she was so fake.

They bustled around the house, Tokio gathering what few things she was taking with her, Saito doing odd jobs as Maro requested. The children didn't do much at all; their mother wouldn't make them work even if it meant Tokio had to do everything. Tokei went off to work at the inn, same as always. It was a completely average day.

But then, it wasn't.

Tokio got more and more nervous as the day wore on. What had she gotten herself into? She was leaving with a man she'd known for only a day. She was going to marry him. _She was going to marry him! _She'd be leaving the only home she'd known for her whole life and going someplace she'd never been. She'd never left Inuyama and had certainly never been to Mibu or anywhere else for that matter. She became skittish and jumpy; made herself sick with worry.

Her anxiety agitated Maro. The woman spent the day yelling at Tokio, calling her names when she messed things up or did a sloppy job with something. The young woman was preoccupied with the thought of her impending marriage and Maro had no patience for her. 

After listening to Maro yell at Tokio for the umpteenth time, Saito had enough. He took his bride-to-be by the hand and pulled her away from the bucket of water she had spilled. "We need to leave." 

"Right now?" She sounded terrified, her eyes widened with panic, "Why?"

"I cannot stand it here a minute longer. Say good-bye and get your things. We're leaving."

"But Hajime…" She trailed off.

"But nothing. I'll destroy that woman if I stay here any longer. She is being positively horrid to you and I won't stand for it."

Some of her nervousness melted away. "You do love me." A trace of a smile lit her face, "You're worried about me." She kissed his cheek, "I'm ready now."

"I'm glad."

The children cried when she said good-bye and hugged them. They were sad to see her leave, their big sister who was more like a second mother. Keiji clung to her, saying "no; no, you can't go!" while Kaida sobbed into the hem of her kimono. Yukio begged her to stay, but Haruko put on a tough guy act, telling his siblings it was "no big deal" even though there were tears in his eyes as he said it.

Tokio finally managed to tear herself away. She followed Saito back to the inn, her face streaked with tears. He looked over his shoulder at her and saw she was still crying. He offered her a hand and she took it, finding little comfort in his compassion. Still her tears did not cease. He put an arm around her shoulder and she settled into his embrace. "I hope they will be okay…" She whispered.

There was another tearful farewell when they stopped at the inn and Tokei spoke briefly with her sister. "Won't you reconsider? Tesaguri-san is willing to forgive you for your impertinence."

"No." Tokio said softly, "It is his fault I am leaving in the first place. Do you know what he did to me, Tokei? He tried to rape me last night. Hajime saved me." She smiled affectionately at her wolfish companion and he smiled faintly back, "I am afraid he will do the same to you." Her eyes welled with tears and she sniffled, "Be careful."

"Don't worry about me, Tokio. I can watch out for myself. I'm used to dealing with men like Tesaguri. You take care of yourself."

The two sisters hugged one another, then Tokio turned back to Saito. His wolf-like eyes seemed to ask her "are you ready?" She nodded a confirmation, then took his hand in hers.

Tokei watched as they strolled out of town together. Her sister was lucky. She had a man that loved her. She was going to a new home. She would have money to buy nice things. It wasn't fair.

The two walked in silence for a while. Tokio stared at her feet as she walked, thinking of everything that had happened in the course of a day. Saito said nothing because he could tell she was nervous. She was frightened, heading out into a strange new world. She was leaving behind everything she had ever known. Tears filled her eyes.

Then she felt Saito's hand slide into hers. Startled, she looked up.

He smiled at her, a concerned look in his animal like eyes. "Are you all right?"

"Oh, Hajime, I am. Very much so." Smiling, she tightened her grip on his hand, "For you see, I'm going home today."


End file.
